- The following is content from the press release -
Melody International K.K. (Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture: CEO Yuko Ogata), which develops a perinatal telemedicine platform with a mobile fetal monitor at its core, has raised a total of 110 million yen through a third-party allotment of shares underwritten by Kyoto University Innovation Capital Corporation, Tokai Tokyo Investment Corporation, Iyogin Capital Co, (Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture: Yuko Ogata, Representative Director), which operates a medical platform, has raised a total of 110 million yen through a third-party allotment of new shares to be underwritten by investment limited partnerships managed by Kyoto University Innovation Capital Corporation, Tokai Tokyo Investment Corporation, Iyogin Capital Co.
What we aim to achieve through the capital increase
Melody International Corporation ("Melody"), located in Kagawa Prefecture in the Seto Inland Sea, where there are many remote islands and underpopulated medical areas, manufactures, develops, and sells medical devices and telemedicine service platforms with the mission of "providing safe and reliable childbirth for mothers around the world.
Despite the 140 million births in the world each year, 2 million of those babies die during childbirth (UNICEF, etc.), and the overwhelming shortage of doctors and uneven distribution of medical resources are common issues in the so-called Global South.
In addition, in many regions in Japan, the shortage of obstetricians and the decrease in the number of obstetric facilities have resulted in a vacuum in the childbirth environment. Against the backdrop of a shortage of successors to obstetricians and reforms in the way physicians work, there is a growing need for team medicine and multidisciplinary cooperation to look after pregnant women throughout the entire community as obstetric facilities continue to be consolidated.
To solve these issues, Melody has developed a mobile fetal monitor, the "Delivery Monitor iCTG," and has provided a telemedicine system that allows doctors and pregnant women to know the health status of the fetus anytime and anywhere through the telemedicine platform "Melodyi. Currently, the system has been introduced in more than 130 hospitals in Japan and in many countries around the world, including Thailand and Bhutan, to support medical professionals and pregnant women.
With the funds raised this time, we plan to further advance our efforts to date and promote the introduction of equipment and systems in Japan and overseas. We will mainly accelerate the following businesses in Japan and overseas.
Domestic: Proactive introduction of regional perinatal coordination system → Provide a system to look after the shortage of obstetric facilities in the region.
Strengthen sales structure and promotion to promote introduction to clinics and midwifery centers.
Overseas: Expand overseas sales and enhance overseas logistics
Through the above efforts, we will work to promote telemedicine in perinatal care in Japan and abroad and to eliminate disparities in medical care.
List of Investors
- Innovation Kyoto 2021 Investment Limited Partnership / Unlimited liability partner Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co.
- Tokai Tokyo Incubation No. 2 Investment Limited Partnership / Unlimited liability partner Tokai Tokyo Investment Co.
- Iyo Venture Fund No. 7 Investment Limited Partnership / General Partner Iyo-Gin Capital Corporation (Head office: Matsuyama, Ehime, President: Toshiki Hamaguchi)
- QR2 Fund Investment Limited Partnership / Unlimited liability partner QR Investment Inc. (Head office: Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, Representative Director: Fumio Hamano)
Kyoto Innovation Capital Corporation, the lead investor, will make an additional investment in Melody, a Kagawa University venture, as a fund for national universities other than Kyoto University. In addition, Tokai Tokyo Investment, Iyogin Capital, and QR Investment will provide Melody with a great opportunity to strengthen its ties with each region as it moves forward with the introduction of a system of regional collaboration to support local childbirth.
About Melody's Services
Mobile Fetal Monitor "iCTG" Delivery Monitor
This wireless delivery monitoring device can measure the fetal heartbeat and the tension in the pregnant woman's abdomen at the hospital or at home. When the sensor is placed on the pregnant woman's belly for measurement, the results are displayed in an application on a tablet via Bluetooth connection, and can be used by doctors to diagnose the health condition of the baby. Data is uploaded to a cloud server via the Internet and can be viewed anytime, anywhere in real time, and archived for a long period of time, eliminating the need for cumbersome paper data management.
Perinatal telemedicine platform "Melody i
Melody i" is a communication platform that connects medical professionals and pregnant women, allowing measurement results to be automatically sent to doctors via a cloud server, and doctors to diagnose and advise remotely from wherever they are. In addition to connecting pregnant women and doctors, it can also link data from clinics to perinatal centers and share data in real time during maternal transport. In addition, by networking local medical institutions over a wide area, it is possible not only to collaborate within a hospital, but also to monitor childbirth in the entire community.
By utilizing the iCTG and Melodyi, the health status of the fetus and the timing of delivery can be monitored remotely, supporting an environment where doctors, midwives, and expectant mothers can look forward to a safer and more secure delivery.
Melody International, Inc.
Phone: 087-813-7362
Email address:support@melody.international
Web Japanese: https://melody.international/
Web English: https://www.melodyi.net/
